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Legislative Update
2009 Legislative Session Wrap-up We are proud to announce our top two legislative priorities going into this session, passed with flying colors and were signed into law. The first was HB 2794, which requires insurance coverage of the human papilloma virus (HPV) for female beneficiaries; including women age 11 and older who are covered by state regulated health insurance plans. The second was HB 2509, which clarifies requirements for sex education in Oregon's public schools. The new law requires schools to provide "medically accurate" information about sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy prevention. NARAL worked tirelessly in 2006 pass a similar rule through the Oregon Department of Education. We helped advance HB 2343, the Equal Accountability for Perpetrators of Sexual Assault Act, which would hold accountable all attackers who prey on victims who are mentally incapacitated due to extreme levels of intoxication. Currently, Oregon is 1 of 18 states that allows how a victim becomes incapacitated to determine the offender's level of guilt. This bill will broaden the application of mental incapacitation by removing the requirement that the incapacitation happened through the result of another's action. This bill will also move all sexual assaults to a Measure 11 sentencing guideline carrying a 100 month jail sentence.
And we supported HB 3022, Preventative Prescriptions for Partners, which permits health care practitioners to increase access to prescription medication to treat certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) is the clinical practice of treating sex partners of patients diagnosed with an STI without clinical examination.
We were also actively involved in advocating for House Bill 2009 (health reform) and House Bill 2116 (creates revenue to match federal funding to expand the Oregon Health Plan to cover uninsured children and low-income adults), both of which passed and signed into law. And with just days left in the session, NARAL helped block an anti-choice bill that would have created fetal personhood rights, similar to a bill we fought in the 2005 session. Instead, NARAL helped draft HB 3503-A, the Pregnant Women Protection Act, which toughens penalties for assaults against pregnant women. In the final hours of this showdown, we worked closely with Representative Chip Shields to ensure that increased penalties did not include the death penalty. |
| Pro-Choice Legislation: |
| Access to Birth Control Passes the Oregon House! 2007 |
| Bill Number: |
HB 2700 |
| Status: |
Governor Signed into law! |
| Sponsor(s): |
Representatives Rosenbaum,Tomei,Nolan, Senators Brown, Monnes Anderson, Devlin Representatives Barker, Barnhart, Berger,Beyer,Bonamici,Boone,Buckley,Cannon,Clem,Cowan,Dingfelder,C Edwards, D Edwards, Galizio,Gelser,Greenlick,Holvey,Komp,Kotek,Merkley,Read,Riley,Roblan,Schaufler,Shields, Witt Senators Avakian,Bates,Burdick,Monroe,Prozanski,Walker, Westlund |
| Take Action: |
Click here to take action. |
Oregon Makes Pro-Choice History: Governor Signs The Access to Birth Control Act May 30th, 2007 was a proud day for pro-choice Oregonians. Governor Kulongoski signed into law HB 2700: The Access to Birth Control Act. NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon and the Pro-Choice Coalition of Oregon applaud the Governor’s actions as well as the support from the legislature. We will not forget the steadfast efforts of supporters who spent the last 14 years working to get this law on the books. The passage of this important bill signals a real step forward for the advancement of women’s health care in Oregon. The Access to Birth Control (ABC) Act: · Ensures Access to Prescription Birth Control in Insurance Coverage: The ABC Act will prohibit discrimination against women related to prescription drug coverage by requiring health insurers to cover prescription birth control in a manner consistent with other prescription coverage. · Increases Access to Emergency Contraception (EC) in the Emergency Room: The ABC Act ensures survivors of sexual assault have access to emergency contraception in hospital emergency rooms in Oregon. For making women's health a priority with the passage of this act, we thank the chief sponsors of HB 2700, Representatives Nolan, Rosenbaum and Tomei, Senators Brown, Devlin and Monnes Anderson. We also appreciate the support of the co-sponsors, Representatives Barker, Barnhart, Berger, Beyer, Bonamici, Boone, Buckely, Cannon, Clem, Cowan, Dingfelder, Chris Edwards, David Edwards, Galizio, Gleser, Greenlick, Holvey, Komp, Kotek, Merkley, Nathanson, Read, Riley, Roblan, Schaufler, Shields, Witt, Senators Avakian, Bates, Burdick, Monroe, Prozanski, Walker and Westlund. Finally, NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon would like to thank all the activists throughout the state who over the years have lobbied their elected officials to support women’s health care by increasing access to birth control. Without your continuous efforts, today’s victory would not be possible. Our hard work has prevailed!
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| Crisis Pregnancy Center Review Act 2007 |
| Bill Number: |
SB 776 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
Referred to Senate Rules Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
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SB 776: Crisis Pregnancy Center Review Act
What Are Crisis Pregnancy Centers? In small and large cities across the U.S. and Oregon, anti-abortion groups have set up Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs). They are often located near high schools or Planned Parenthood clinics. These centers generally provide free pregnancy tests and anti-abortion counseling services. Some sites also provide ultrasounds and STD screening tests. For most CPCs, the goal is to use a variety of tactics to dissuade women from choosing abortion when facing an unplanned pregnancy. Currently, there are over 60 CPCs operating throughout Oregon, with the majority in the Portland-Salem area. 44% of the clinics are operated by a larger umbrella organization such as Birthright. Care Net is the largest parent company, operating 35 clinics in Oregon. Misleading Advertising PracticesCPCs often mask their anti-choice mission in order to attract “abortion vulnerable clients.” This can take the form of advertising under “abortion services” in the yellow pages or obscuring the fact that the center does not provide referrals to abortions in the text of an advertisement. Some centers purchase advertising on internet search engines under keywords that include “abortion” or “abortion clinics.” False Information about Health Care According to surveys conducted nationally and in Oregon, the vast majority of CPCs provide medically and factually inaccurate information about pregnancy, abortion and fertility. For example, many of these centers mislead women about the medical risks of abortion, saying that abortion leads to breast cancer, infertility, and mental illness. Some centers even provide misleading information about birth control and emergency contraception. Ultrasounds: the New Frontier One of the most concerning developments is that more and more CPCs are providing non medical ultrasounds to pregnant women. These ultrasounds are often provided by staff that are not medically trained to read ultrasound results or address complicated medical situations where there may be fetal abnormalities. Review of Oregon CPCs Needed The Crisis Pregnancy Center Review Act is needed to determine how CPCs are operating in Oregon and what, if any, regulation is necessary to protect patients. SB 776 directs the Department of Human Services (DHS) to collect data on how CPCs disclose their services and religious affiliation, the accuracy of medical information provided, advertising methods used, and the types of services provided. DHS is directed to report these findings to the Legislature by December 2008. The bill also requires DHS to establish a toll-free number, complaint form, and process to track and investigate complaints about CPCs
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| Anti-Choice Legislation: |
| Parental Notification 2007 |
| Bill Number: |
HB 3234 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
Referred to Human Services and Women's Wellness Committee with a subsequent referral to Judiciary |
| Sponsor(s): |
Representatives Nelson, Representative Boquist, G Smith, Thatcher |
Protect the Safety of All Oregon Teens -- Oppose House Bill 3234
Government Mandated Parental Notification for Abortions is Dangerous to Young Women That is why Oregon voters soundly defeated this concept in our most recent election by a margin of nearly 10 percent. Everyone supports strong family communication about important issues and the vast majority of older teens involve one or both of their parents in abortion decisions. However, teaching about family communication, responsibility and values has to happen before a young woman faces a pregnancy, not by a government-mandated notification requirement. In the real world, some young women opt not to inform their parents about their abortion decision due to threats of violence or a history of violence in their families. Dangerous Delays Jeopardize Young Women’s Health In states with government mandated parental notification, studies have shown that teens will delay seeking any medical care. The result is an increase in the number of second-trimester abortions or the number of teens that travel outside stateliness to obtain an abortion. Parental notification laws put the most vulnerable teens at increased risk. Forcing a doctor to send a certified letter to a parent who may be responsible for the abuse raises the risk to a young woman. This bill will do nothing to protect the safety of those teens. Older teens who want to avoid parental notification may seek illegal or self-induced abortions. Some engage in seriously self-destructive behavior. Desperate teens will take – have taken – desperate measures. There are numerous real world stories from around the country that highlight what happens when teens take drastic steps to avoid mandated parental notification statutes. v In 2004, a boy in Armada, Michigan beat his girlfriend’s belly with a miniature baseball bat over the course of several weeks to induce a miscarriage because the two did not believe they could get her parent’s permission to obtain an abortion. v In 1994, in Colorado, a newspaper reported a teen drinking bleach hoping to end her pregnancy and another teen consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol trying to end her pregnancy. Trusted and Needed Adults Are Driven Away from Helping Vulnerable Teens When facing an unplanned pregnancy, young women need help from supportive adults, counselors, doctors and nurses. This bill would only serve to push away these trained professionals by threat of losing their license or facing civil penalties. HB 3234 Puts Vulnerable Teens into a Bureaucratic Maze This bill introduces a new method of judicial bypass that is untested in other states, utilizing administrative law judges from the Department of Human Services. Teens facing an unintended pregnancy need the help and support of doctors, nurses or other trusted adults in their lives, not to have to stand before a judge to plead their case. Government Mandated Parental Notification Will Not Help a Young Woman Talk to Her Parents Families need information and support to begin conversations about issues relating to sexuality early in a child’s life. Successful, healthy communication requires teaching and talking about responsibility and values early, not starting the conversation through a government mandate once a teen is facing a pregnancy.
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